Ventilating heater for automobiles



Aug. 4, 1936. R. F. OSTRANDER 2,049,545

VENTILATING HEATER FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 8, 1935 fzvezzzo Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE YENTILATING HEATER FOR AUTOMOBILES 7 Robert F. Ostrander, New Haven, Conn.

Application August 8, 1935, Serial No. 35,294 Claims. (01. 98-2) air thereto, or a small radiator located inside the body and connected to the water system of the motor and provided with an electrically driven fan for forcing heat into the interior of the car.

Each of these types of heaters are unsatisfactory under varying weather conditions because of the objectionable features inherent in its construction and operation. I

In the hot air or exhaust type, the air admitted to the car is necessarily taken from the motor compartment and is consequently contaminated by the dirt, monoxide gas and other fumes of the motor; the temperature of the heated air is uncontrollable, and the attempt to regulate the quantity by dampers or shutters is unsatisfactory;

and the entire installation must be removed in summer.

In the fan-type radiator, dead air within the car body is continuously recirculated by the electrically driven fan; the fan causes a serious drain on the car battery, especially when the fan motor is left running while the car motor is idle; the fan and motor and the inefficient shutters are noisy; the heated air is directed rearwardly as a blast or stream and tends to create drafts because of the wide temperature ranges within the car body; and the installation occupies a substantial space, usually interfering with the leg room" of a passenger on the'front seat.

The purpose of the present invention is to improve car heaters by eliminating these objectionable features of the former installations, and by providing simple and efiicient apparatus which will not only furnish the desired amount of controlled heat for the comfort of the driver and his passengers, but which will also ensure a continuous supply of warmed fresh air to the interior of the car, without creating drafts or introducing dirt, moisture or gasoline fumes within the car body.

The specific features of the improved apparatus and their attendant advantages will be apparent from the following description of a recommended embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and will be pointed out in the appended claims. It will be understood, however, that the structural details of the installation may be varied to suit special circumstances without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In the drawing, 5

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the front portion of a passenger automobile equipped with the improved ventilating heater;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 22 10 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation, partly broken away, of a radiator unit forming part of the installation; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on' line 4-4 of 15 Fig. 2.

In the particular embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration, the combined heating and ventilating apparatus is installed in a typical coach or sedan type automobile having a cowl 20 ventilator or shutter ll pivoted in any usual manner in the cowl l2, and provided with an operating lever l3 which bears against an arm l4 so that the ventilator may be held in regulated position by the engagement of the arm within 25 spaced notches on an arcuate portion of the lever. The ventilator usually has a screen I5 which prevents the admission of dirt or other foreign substances through the ventilating opening.

The car also has the usual dash board l6 and 30 instrument panel I! as integral parts of its forward compartment, as well as the motor block I8, front radiator l9, hose connections 20 and 2|, and water pump 22 constituting the cooling system for the motor. 35

My improved apparatus preferably comprises a heating unit indicated generally at 23 in Fig. 1, hose connections or conduits 24 and 25 leading to the lines 20 and 2| respectively of the motor cooling system, and a housing or base member 26 40 for supporting the radiator unit 23 so that all air admitted through the cowl ventilator is circulated through its coils and then passes outwardly or The heating unit 23 preferably consists of a 50 tubular, honeycomb type core or radiator section such as is commonly employed for the front radiator l9, and a pair of end members or headers 28 and 29 secured over the ends of the radiator tubes 30 (Fig. 3) to ensure proper water circu- 5 lation therethrough. The respective headers have unions 3| and 32 to which the hoses 24 and ing system.

25 are connected. The size of the unit may vary according to the make and model of the automobile, but a section 3 inches deep, 5 inches wide and 24 inches long will fit comfortably behind the instrument panel of most cars and will afford ample heating capacity, approximately seven times the radiation provided by the ordinary fan type heaters, without obstructing the space needed by occupants.

The housing 26 preferably consists of moisture-absorbent sheet material, for example fibrous wall board, of sufficient thickness to sup port the radiator unit, to insulate the heating compartment, and to absorb moisture from the air entering through the ventilator II. This board or base member is suitably mounted between the dashboard l6 and instrument panel I! and extends from side to side of the car, thus completely enclosing the space beneath the ventilator, except for the opening 33 immediately below the-radiator unit 23 through which the warmed air passes to the interior of the car.

The housing may also have a narrow slot 34 which receives the ventilator lever l3, and this opening may be efliciently sealed by strips of yielding material such as sponge rubber 35 which embrace the arm of the lever while permitting movement thereof to open or close the ventilator, as shown in Fig. 4. a

The hot water conduit of hose 24 leads from the outlet of the water manifold of the motor (where the water temperature is highest) to the intake 3| of the radiator section, which is preferably located at the bottom of the header 28. The connection 36 to hose 20 preferably includes a well known type of spring actuated thermostat (not shown) regulated to a temperature of approximately 160 F., so that hot water will be continuously supplied to the heater at a substantially constant temperature. A valve 31, located in the inlet hose and having a handle or knob disposed beneath the' base member 26, is preferably provided adjacent the intake union 3|, so that the heater may readily be regulated or completely shut off by the operator whenever it is not needed to warm the car.

The return conduit or hose 25 leads from the outlet connection 32, preferably leading from the top of the header 29, to the returnhose 2| of the front radiator; ahead of the pump 22. While the heateris in operation, the water will freely circulate through the radiator unit and its hose connections owing to the actioniiof the pump 22 and the connection currents in the motor heat- By locatim', thel'iotjwater inlet-v 3| at the bottom of the heating unit andthefioutlet32 at the top of its opposite end, complete expulsion of any air in the headers or tubes-20f the-core is assured upon filling the radiator unit with hot I water, so that the entire capacity of the core is utilized for heating while avoiding any dead air pockets. Furthermore, this arrangement usually permits the water in the heating unit to flow oil. through the inlet hose 24 when the motor cooling system is drained; If, however, the inlet hose 7 should, at any point, be directed above the level ing before it enters the radiator core; and any struction, and out of sight as well as out of the way (behind the'instrument panel) so that it is not necessary to remove the installation during the summer months; that warmed fresh air is continuously circulated through the car at a sub- 5 stantially constant, controllable temperature, free from drafts or obnoxious fumes; that the system is noiseless and economical because of the elimination of movable shutters, fans and operating motors therefor; and that the comfort 10 of the occupants of the car is assured regardless of the temperature outside the car. It has been demonstrated that the temperature within the car may be regulated by adjusting the opening of the ventilator II or by turning the control 15 valve 31; it may also be varied by changing the size of the window opening 21, for experience has shown that a wider opening (up to a distance of three or four inches) increases the circulation of the fresh air entering through the 20 ventilator and thus causes more warm air to flow through the interior of the car, without admitting an appreciable amount of cold air through the opened window; whereas, a narrower opening will reduce the circulation of air through the heating unit, and consequently lower the temperature within the car. Obviously, the temperature is reduced when the ventilator II is closed; and the heating unit ceases to function when the valve 31 is shut off. 30

It will be found that the air leaving the heating unit 23 through the housing opening 33 spreads throughout the entire interior of the car body to such an extent that a passenger unfamiliar with the concealed apparatus has difficulty in predicting the source of the heat, inasmuch as there is no directed stream of hot air such as is produced by a fan. All the occupants of the car are comfortably warmed by the improved heating apparatus as soon as the car is put in motion; and the radiator will serve to keep the car warm for a reasonable period after it has been stopped, especially if'the motor is left running.

As the radiator unit is substantially smaller than the heater chamber in which it is located, fresh cold air entering the chamber through the ventilating opening will circulate through the compartment and receive a preliminary warmexcessive moisture will be absorbed by the inner surface of the absorbent sheet which constitutes the housing member or base of said chamber.

I claim:

1. In a motor vehicle having an enclosed body, a heater chamber constructed within the vehicle body and including a housing member, a heating unit substantially smaller than said chamber located therein and mounted against said housing,

one wall of the chamber having a ventilating opening for admitting fresh air thereto, said housing having an opening communicating with the heating unit for distributing warmed air to the interior of the body, the vehicle body having a window arranged to be opened to cause circulation of fresh air through the heater chamber and the interior of the body, and said housing member consisting of a sheet of absorbent ma-- terial adapted to absorb moisture admitted to the heater chamber through said ventilating opening.

2. In a motor vehicle having a closed body provided with a dashboard and an instrument panel, a housing member bridging the space between. said dashboard and panel and providing a heater chamber, a heating unit substantially smaller than said chamber located therein and mounted on said housing member, one wall of the chamber having a ventilating opening for admitting fresh air thereto, said housing having an opening communicating with the heating unit for distributing warmed air to the interior of the body, the vehicle body having a window arranged to be opened to cause circulation of fresh air through the heater chamber and the interior of the body.

3. In a motor vehicle having a closed body provided with a dashboard and an instrument panel, a housing member bridging the space between said dashboard and panel and providing a heater chamber, a heating unit substantially smaller than said chamber located therein and mounted on said housing member, the top wall of the chamber having a ventilating opening for admitting fresh air thereto, said housing having an opening located beneath the heating unit for distributing warmed air to the interior of the body, the vehicle body having a window arranged to be opened to cause circulation of fresh air through the heater chamber and the interior of the body, and said housing member consisting of a sheet of absorbent material adapted to absorb moisture admitted to the heater chamber through said ventilating opening.

4. In a motor vehicle having a closed body provided with a cowl, dashboard and instrument panel, a base member bridging the space between said dashboard and panel and extending substantially from side to side of the body to provide a heater chamber under said cowl and behind said panel, a radiator section substantially smaller in size than said chamber mounted on said'base member, an adjustable ventilator in said cowl for admitting fresh air to the chamber, the base member having an opening immediately beneath said radiator section for distributing warmed air to the interior of the body, the radiator section having enclosing headers on its opposite ends, the vehicle body having a window arranged to be opened to cause circulation of fresh air through the heater chamber and the interior of the body.

5. In a motor vehicle having a closed body provided with a cowl, dashboard and instrument A panel, a base member bridging the space between said dashboard and panel and extending from side to side of the body to provide a heater chamber under said cowl and behind said panel, a radiator section substantially smaller in size than said chamber mounted on said base member, an adjustable ventilator in said cowl for admitting fresh air to the chamber, the base member having an opening immediately beneath said radiator section for distributing warmed air to the interior of the body, the radiator section having enclosing headers on its opposite ends, the vehicle body having a window arranged to be opened to cause circulation of fresh air through the heater chamber and the interiorof the body, and said base member consisting of a sheet of fibrous absorbent material adapted to absorb moisture admitted to the chamber through the cowl ventilator.

ROBERT F. OSTRANDER.

DISCLAIM ER 2,049,545.--Rubart F. ()stramlwr, New Haven, Conn. VENTILA'IING HEATER FOR AUTOMOBILES. Pat-out dated August 4, 1936. Disclaimer filed June 29, 1938, by the patentco; the nssignee, A Imi'im ZVlanufacturing Company, consenting. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claim 2 of said Letters Patent.

[Oflicial Gazette Aug-W12, I 9361] 

